On my first Mother's Day as a parent, we enjoyed homemade cards & promises of a car wash. Then we all went to the river for a bike ride. Maisy & I walked, dragging up the rear in case of stragglers. One of the boys, who doesn't have much stamina & tires very easily, stops frequently when his "heart starts beeping fast". Each time he would get ready to start up again, he would take off, wobbling precariously, eyes locked on the path in front of him, saying "Mom? Are you behind me? Are you back there?".
"Yeah honey. I'm here. You won't get rid of me that easily."
This same child, who was mad at the world when he moved in six months ago, gave me a stick of chewing gum Friday afternoon. He said his teacher gave it to him but he decided to save it for me because it was almost Mother's Day. Melted my heart. I wonder if he understands that he will still be with us next Mother's Day? It's sometimes difficult to know what he does & does not understand. His brothers say they know we are their family, but they have been told that by others before & it didn't happen. So they say they believe us but still appear a little skeptical sometimes.
A few weeks ago, when I casually mentioned something about when they start back to school in the fall, they were shocked to discover that they would be returning to the same school. Apparently this has never happened before. There were cheers & high-fives all around in the back seat as I sat at a stoplight shaking my head. The things most of us take for granted.
Oddly, I hope at some point they take things for granted. Like the fact that they will be in the same school. And in the same home. With us. I'm okay with them taking it for granted. Because that will mean that they know that we really are their parents. They will know what family really means. And they are welcome to take it for granted, although we never will.
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